Meddle Not

Meddle Not
Date of Scene:	13 October 2012
Location:	Bare Desert
Synopsis:	Priel Aylin does a bad, bad thing.
Cast of Characters:	Priel Aylin, Shiki Misaki, Sora, Reize Seatlan

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Shiki Misaki has posed:
Shiki Misaki, adventurer at large?

She really doesn't know. She's not sure if what Faruja said to her is true: but she's going to try and find out. She's going to do something that she's never really tried before.

Shiki is going out, on her own, without a partner (but with a Chocobo), and she's headed into the Damascan desert to, well, do some fighting. She knows that there are occasional treasures, munny and supplies that can be collected from indigenous monsters, and every little helps, so she's going to try and fight and gather some supplies for the group.

Yes, Shiki Misaki is level grinding.

Priel Aylin has posed:
Having heard tales from quite a few travelers about the Damascan Sands and the spoils to be found within, Priel had decided to take some time out of her schedule in order to take a closer look at the place. To that end, she struck out into the desert, flying out over the landscape.

From her back, a pair of scaled, red wings extended and were flapping, working to keep the girl airborne as she sailed through the skies at a moderate pace, her blue eyes looking over the environment. It didn't seem like anything was going on from what she could see...no monsters worth taking the time to hunt, nothing interesting glinting up from the sand...

Oh, but what's that? A chocobo? And someone riding it? Surely that meant it wasn't a wild one then. The rider looked awfully familiar as well. After all, that stupid hat did ring a few bells...This demanded investigation!

And so Priel swept downwards, coming to fly next to Shiki, upon which, she recognized the other. "Ohooo~ Well what have we here~? All alone today~?"

Already, the sarcasm and mocking was dripping from her voice. Almost like it was stuck permanently.

Shiki Misaki has posed:
Shiki lets her chocobo, which has a few saddlebags, drink at an oasis for a minute while she hops off. She spies some Wolves! And where there's wolves, there's wind stones. And potions! Currently, she's got a cheap spear from a merchant in Fluorgis to help her.

Of course, before she can do anything about it, you-know who drops out of the skies, causing her to jump in surprise.

Immediately edgy, she nevertheless puts her spear behind her back with both hands. "I'm learning to stand on my own and fight monsters," she replies matter-of-factly. "People have said I'm good at being an adventurer. What's it to you?"

Priel Aylin has posed:
"Hmmm....No real reason~"

Shrugging nonchalantly, Priel let her eyes wander about as the wings extending from her back gradually folded up and receded back into her body. It was an eerie sight really. She spotted a couple wolves some distance away after a bit of scoping about. Taking note of that, she then turned her eyes back to Shiki, observing the spear in the other's possession. The sight caused a cheshire-like grin to spread across her face. "You know...that spear REALLY doesn't suit you at all, you know~?"

Stating bluntly, the redhead began to walk around Shiki continuously in a loose circle, rubbing her chin in thought. "Whatever happened to that childish stuffed animal of yours? Did it get incinerated? Mhmhmhm~"

And the question was topped off with a derisive giggle.

Shiki Misaki has posed:
"I don't know," Shiki replies to Priel, although she previously closed her eyes and winced when she did away with her wings because that's just /weird/. Normally, Shiki would grin and bear it, but when it comes to someone like Priel, she just doesn't feel like putting on a smile.

"I'm getting used to using spear psychs, so I thought I'd try using a real one for the sake of efficiency while I was out here. Just trying new things!"

"And for your information, Mr. Mew is trying just as hard. He's just somewhere else right now fighting smaller monsters."

She keeps turning to look at Priel as she circles her. "What's with you, anyway? You never seem like you have a kind word for anybody."

Priel Aylin has posed:
"Kind words?" Priel asked, tilting her head slightly in mock ignorance. "...Now what good are 'kind words'? To caress a bruised ego perhaps? Or maybe to cover up a painful truth?"

She shrugged her shoulders then, coming to a stop by Shiki's chocobo. "Kind words are utterly useless. They no one any good." Resting a hand on the large bird's side, the girl turned her head, giving the other a sidelong glance and a smirk. "Rather than that, I would choose to say what I think." She turned her attention back towards the wolves in the distance, watching their activities with little interest.

"Is that a bad thing now?"

Shiki Misaki has posed:
Shiki Misaki pff.

She begins to walk after Priel, because she doesn't like the feeling of her getting close to her stuff for obvious reasons. "You're weird."

"You don't lose anything by being kind to other people. It's how you make friends. In a situation like mine, it's how you survive. People are stronger when they're together, I think."

She just looks at Priel while she looks at the wolves. "So why is it that when you say what you think, you just say a bunch of harshness? Are you one of those brooding loner-types who just say nasty things about people to see if they can take it?"

Priel Aylin has posed:
"It takes for more effort to keep a friend than it does to make an enemy. All it takes is one mistake, one misunderstanding. One wrong word. And poof~" To accentuate her point, she held her arms outward and wiggled her hands, emulating an explosion or something.

At Shiki's question, Priel bursts out into amused laughter. "Ahahahaha! Are you serious?" Giving the other a look, she brought a finger to each side of her mouth, poking it upwards into a smile. "Is this the face of a brooding loner now~? Come now, where in the world did you even come to such a silly conclusion?"

With a roll of the eyes, Priel shrugged her shoulders. "Well, maybe it's because people have a lot of harsh things that they need to be told now, hmm~?"

Shiki Misaki has posed:
"That's not true," Shiki says, but her voice wavers /just/ a little. "Friends forgive one another, don't you know? You must have really bad experience with making friends."

She just stands there and frowns at Priel as she makes a face. "OK, so maybe I was wrong."

She slings her spear over her shoulder, as her Chocobo walks away from Priel to eat some leaves. "You're not a loner, you're just a jerk."

"I don't like you," she says suddenly, checking to see if the wolves are still there (they're not). "I don't know what your deal is, but you're just a sour-puss who always looks on the worst side of life. You'd better stay away from the Shard Seekers from now on, especially after what you did to Lily."

Priel Aylin has posed:
"Well! You wouldn't be the first to make such a claim now!" Looking about as unaffected as she usually does when faced with the fact that yet another person did not like her, she only smiled in response. "And do you really think I really care anything about what you or your band of worthless children and babysitters do?"

Having a hand dismissively, Priel turned away, crossing her arms behind her head as she stared up at the sky. "What I did to that silly girl was nothing more than show her just how useless she actually is. How all of you are really." Sparing not a single harsh work, the girl continued to speak her mind clearly.

"Rather than me staying away from your precious little band of misfits..." She turned her gaze back to Shiki then, eyes narrowing.

"How about you good-for-nothings actually work on gaining some worth before you throw your weight about, hmmm~?" And with that, she shrugged nonchalantly, letting her arms fall to her sides which she then folded behind her waist.

"And besides all of that. I do what I want, where I want. Whether or not your little club gets run over in the process is of little concern to me now."

Shiki Misaki has posed:
"Hey, you wanna know something? Huh?" Shiki says, her voice rising as she actually starts following Priel this time.

"You know how Lily clocked you back then? If anything you thought about was true, we'd have all turned our backs on her there and then."

"But we /didn't/," she continues, gripping the spear tighter. "We calmed her down and helped her out, and then the next day we were all talking and making new friends in the garden. Of our /home/."

"We will," she replies to Priel as she turns back around. "And who cares if we are misfits? It just goes to show when we make friends with one another! It doesn't matter that Lily doesn't know very much, or I'm from a really different world, or Faruja looks different to everyone else, or even that Nagetta is a monster! We're going to stick together because we've decided we're going to be friends, and stand by one another."

"We don't care about being big or important. We care about one another, and saving things from the Heartless."

Priel Aylin has posed:
"Aw, how cute~" Priel cooed, pausing and then turning around to face Shiki, an utterly entertained expression adorning her face. Even after such a serious speech, she wasn't moved. "That was so inspirational! So moving! So....astounding!" Spreading her arms as she speaks, she continues on in a mocking tone. "Truly the power of friendship is something to be feared!"

And then her smile fell like a ton of bricks, giving way to a look of utter contempt. "......Not! I want to throw up right now. That was the most uselessly sentimental thing I have ever heard in my life! And I have heard some terribly sentimental things before!"

With that said, the girl's contempuous look was instantly replaced with a smile and she winked at Shiki. "Well now! If you truly believe in something as asinine as the 'bonds of people', then please! Do go and prove me wrong! Show me that you won't all end up divided and conquered at the end of it all~" Lowering her arms now, resting her hands on her hips, she then added one last statement. "...Of course, I'll be looking forward to it~"

Shiki Misaki has posed:
"You know what, forget you," Shiki snaps, and begins to walk back over to her chocobo. "You're like some kind of ridiculous preppy girl, only without the sycophants... no, you know what, you're worse than that."

Now with her back turned completely to Priel, she starts taking things out of her pockets and purse and into the saddlebags.

"Nagetta can't even hide her tail, but to all of us, she's a 'person'."

She looks back and flashes a dirty look to Priel before she prepares to get onto the warkbird. "Even if you can look human whenever you want, you're definitely a monster."

Priel Aylin has posed:
Priel only continued to smile, raising a hand to wave cutely at Shiki as she prepared to leave. "Well, if I'm a monster now, then why don't I play my role to it's fullest extent....and eat you~?" As she spoke those words, her eyes, which were definitely blue before, suddenly became a feral yellow, the pupils turning to slits. All after a single blink. "After all 'monsters' eat people. ...And I am becoming rather hungry now~" With that, she grinned, her fangs visibly beginning to lengthen beyond their usual size...

Shiki Misaki has posed:
What.

Shiki freezes, and glances behind herself...

And this part of her thinks 'oh gods not again'.

And just like that she's BOLTING back up onto the chocobo, which already has a pretty good idea of what's going on, so she ends up half-clinging to the side of it and scrambling onto its back as it starts to make a break for it.

"Wh-wh-what the heck?!" she shouts back. "What are you talking about?!"

Priel Aylin has posed:
"You heaaaaaaard me~" Priel replied, begining to take steps forward, as she walked, red scales began to travel down her arms before engulfing her hands. From there, three black talons then began to protrude from the mass of scales that uses to be her hands. Now they were claws.

"But since you seeeeeeem to be hard of hearing, let me reiterate; I am hungry. YOU are going to be my meal~" from her back, a familiar pair of wings extended, flapping once after they were fully freed. And to top it off, a pair of black horns began to jut out from each side of her head, angling backwards. ....Say, was her skin beginning to turn grey?

It didn't look like her transformation was complete, but Priel deemed it to be enough and then took flight, rising into the air as she then began to give chase to Shiki.

"Do try and escape though! I love it when my prey tries to resist~!"

Shiki Misaki has posed:
"WHAT THE HECK?!" Shiki shouts, as the Chocobo begins to get up to speed.

She spurs its side, and looks behind her. What the heck is Priel turning into anyway?

"What the heck is wrong with you?!"

The chocobo, pretty obviously startled, starts getting faster since it doesn't need to turn around to know what exactly is coming up behind it ('trouble'). Shiki steers it right on a straight course west, the direction she knows Fluorgis is in. Fortunately, she was on the edge of the Dalmascan desert, and with Chocobo speed she could get there.

"What are you?! Some kind of Heartless?" she shouts.

Shiki Misaki has posed:
"Well, if I'm a monster now, then why don't I play my role to it's fullest extent....and eat you~? After all 'monsters' eat people. ...And I am becoming rather hungry now~"
"Wh-wh-what the heck?! What are you talking about?!"
"You heaaaaaaard me~ Do try and escape though! I love it when my prey tries to resist~!"
"WHAT THE HECK?! What the heck is wrong with you?! What are you?! Some kind of Heartless?"

Words such as those were exchanged as the sun fell and a dragon rose up to swallow it. Shiki Misaki, who has made a mistake, is currently clinging to the back of a chocobo, fleeing in terror across the open sands outside of Fluorgis. Behind her, Priel Aylin follows in her half-dragon form. Shiki clings to her player pin, desperately hoping someone will hear her...

oO(Someone, help me, please! Oh my god why does this keep happening? Someone, Reize, help! She's going to kill me! She's going t o EAT me! WHY DOES THIS KEEP HAPPENING? Reize, /HELP/!)

Priel Aylin has posed:
And of course, soaring through the air behind Shiki is Priel, decked out in half dragon form with horns, fangs, claws, wings, grey skin, and red scales everywhere. If there was ever any indication that Priel wasn't human, now definitely proved the fact. Laughing wildly, the currently inhuman girl played the chase up to it's fullest extent.

"Ohhhhhh! I wonder just how I'll eat you! Perhaps I'll tear your limbs off and then fry them! Human meat DOES taste much better grilled after all~! Ahahahahahahaha!"

If Shiki would have take a moment to stop panicking and look, she'd notice that despite having the speed to catch up and make short work of the Player....she wasn't. She'd speed up occasionally, but gradually fall back to keep up the chase.

Strange indeed....

Sora has posed:

From the opposite direction, roughly, a young man in light brown robes (to protect himself from the summer heat) is walking. He's headed towards Fluorgis, and it looks like he's been in the desert for a while. He was kind of carefree, walking in the night for a respite from the heat, taking his time when he notices cries for help and suggestions of eatings.

Suddenly, he speeds up, running towards the monster girl and the fleeing girl, a key materializing in his right hand. "Leave her be." He cries out, voice hoarse from the desert heat, he fires a blast of thunder into the sky, crackling as some kind of warning shot.

Reize Seatlan has posed:
This is not good.
Earlier, Reize was going to have food with Riku and perhaps correlate a plan on how to get the pendant back. Luring the hobo out seemed like a good idea. Unfortunately, there was that connection with his Partner that rung into his ears.
She was in danger.
Reize is already running out with both boomerangs armed. Must find Shiki.
From afar....
He spots her. And he spots the creature.
Suddenly, the sound of thunder and a blast of lightning in the air? He blinks looking ahead. Time to see what's going on.

Shiki Misaki has posed:
Shiki Misaki is screaming.

It is an inelegant thing, made of raw terror and ending in sobbing, because seriously, do we have to count the number of things that have declared their decision to dine on delicious Misaki meat in the last four weeks? I made a list, don't make me quote it.

tOne of her hands fumbles with her chocobo's saddlebag, desperately tossing out the precious potions and wind stones she'd been accumulating for the Shard Seekers in an effort to move faster, still not noticing the obvious fact that Priel is stringing her along.

She opens her eyes for a few seconds to make sure she's still on course, and sees two people- one familiar, one not.

Shiki cries out "HELP ME, PLEASE!"

Priel Aylin has posed:
The sight and sound of Shiki screaming in terror was a beautiful thing. It took all she had to keep up the evil monster routine and not burst out into raucous laughter, but she managed to keep her mirth down and continue.

"Awwwww~ Why are you screaming? Is it not a wonderful thing to become one with me? By way of my stomach that is~ Ahahahahahaha~!" Laughing evilly again, Priel made a point of breathing fire, just to try and scare Shiki even further. "I assure you, it's not as bad as it sounds~!"

And then came the lightning. It was a wild shot, totally missing her, but making it's point clear nonetheless. "...Hmn?" Narrowing her eyes, she looked out to see whom had cast that spell. Her eyes spotted two individuals, both male, both children. One familiar, and one not. It looked like the unfamiliar had cast the spell judging by his proximity.

"Oh dear...." Priel sighed in mock resignation, ceasing her flight and coming to hover in the air, her wings flapping to keep her afloat. "Now, what can I do for you on this fine night? ...You're interrupting my meal, you know~?"

And a polite smile was given to Sora, what that belied what was actually happenening...

Sora has posed:

"Well get a different meal." The stranger's hoarse voice doesn't seem like he's going to leave much room for argument, that giant key pointed at Priel like someone else might point a sword. He's not feeling like a fight, clearly, but he's not going to back down here either. He approaches, slowly.

He hasn't even noticed Reize yet, and with the darkness of the night he doesn't get a good view at the two people he /is/ seeing. "I hope you understand that trying to eat her is going to cause a problem."

Reize Seatlan has posed:
There is no time to waste.
Things were heating up.
The boy can hear the sound of a very familiar voice. However, that is when the young lad reaches along his pouch to procure something. While the rope swings out, the young adventurer is moving very closer.
He isn't going to let Shiki get hurt. She is in terror.
While the other person seem to have things distracted, well....
Reize is already lashing out the rope across the draconic creature's neck.
Time for a dragon rodeo.

Shiki Misaki has posed:
Shiki Misaki can't afford to stop.

But at the same time, she suddenly wants to.

If neither of them are good enough, then they'll surely be killed by Priel; and worse, and she doesn't know what she'd do if she had to explain Reize's death, let alone this new stranger's, to anyone.

But Priel wants HER, for revenge, for spite, heck maybe because she smells like pringles for monsters.

So she does the only thing she can do.

She takes a look back and keeps spurring the chocobo on.

"Forgive me."

Priel Aylin has posed:
"Get a different meal? Awwwww! But I'm hungry now!" Pouting childishly, Priel crossed her arms, tapping a talon against her upper arm impatiently as she stared down this silly boy in the cloak. A shame Shiki was beginning to get away now. Oh well, that was fun while it lasted. But now it seemed like that was traded for yet another interesting situation.

Sure, she could have turned around at this point and gone back onto her merry way, but no. She decided to stick around and play a little while longer... "Ah, I get it now!" She suddenly exclaimed, pointing down at Sora with a claw. "You want to trade places with her! Is that it? Oh my~ how utterly selfless of you~" Bringing her off hand...or rather, claw, to her cheek, she smiled in amusement, her eyebrows turning upwards as her face took on a creepy expression. "I'll be sure to savor the taste of your flesh well~"

....But one thing was bothering her. That thing he was pointing up at her. It looked like a...giant key. But he was weilding it like a sword. What was the deal with that?

That moment of idle thought would cost her however as something ended up looping around her neck. "...Hm? Rope?" And then suddenly, the dragon girl found herself lurching downwards from the force of Reize's pull, having been caught off guard.

"You have GOT to be kidding me!"

Sora has posed:

Okay, playtime is over. If Priel wants to eat someone, Sora isn't gonna stand for that. He runs towards Priel, keyblade in hand and then lashes out, aiming for one of Priel's wings. Highest Priority is of course enabling escape if this isn't going to work. Only when he's swung that weapon does he notice the rope and the boy pulling it.

"Is she your pet?" He asks, almost forgetting he just tried to hit the 'pet' with his sword-like key, though not entirely, because his gaze does keep watching Priel, and also Reize but mostly Priel.

Reize Seatlan has posed:
Unfortunately for Priel, she has to deal with the brave and foolish. Especially the foolish. It takes the form of a young teenager who has been remarked as the Boy With the Long Yellow Scarf.

Generally the pain in the butt to those who he sets his eyes on, Reize is charging ocne the ropelurches slightly from the tug.

That means it is secured

"Meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeelllllllllllooooooonnnnnnnnn!!!"

Reize didn't get the chance to eat before he left.

Reize is charging into battle, or rather, he springs off of his feet. He then lands right over towards Priel's back. He is reaching his hands out towards her horns.

"I'll teach you for going after my friends!"

Many things are running through his mind...

"...Did I really just shout melon?" He mutters, "...I am kinda hungry..." Then, to Sora, "...I don't think this one can be tamed, but I can sure try! This is like back in my village!!!"
This is looking all too familiar. Didn't he try to do the same thing with the bull back in his little village?

....There is a small memory of the one time he did handle this.

"...Now that I think about that..." He scratches his chin, "That didn't go so well."

...

"Crap."

Shiki Misaki has posed:
This was bound to happen eventually.

Shiki's chocobo trips over a buried dinosaur bone in the sand, hucking her and the saddlebags off into the sand. The chocobo warks loudly and runs off back to Fluorgis.

Shiki just sort of lies there in the sand, trembling.

Priel Aylin has posed:
Well.

This isn't exactly how she had planned for this evening to go. Fighting off two brats in the desert. Oh joy. And now that fool with the scarf actually had the audacity to get into her back? Was he gripping her horns!? Okay, this was getting stupid now.

"For one, I am NOT a pet!" Priel growled, swerving aside to avoid the keyblade strike, even if the boy had faltered a little. Better safe than sorry. "And second, I am not to be ridden!" Irritation fueling her efforts, Priel renewed her flight, wings flapping to take her airborne again. It wasn't a problem to carry Reize. She had the strength. But of course, this was demeaning on a primal level.

Which left only one option; Buck the fool off!

And so she began to spin rapidly as she flew, doing complicated movements and rolls in an attempt to get the fool with the scarf to fall off and into the sands below. "Get off of me already!"

Sora has posed:

This is getting complicated, and weird, and the mysterious hooded boy tries to figure out a solution, then just ... kind of tries to jump up, cut that rope, catch Reize, and drop back down to the ground. That's what he tries, but what's more likely to happen is that he'll jump up, accidentally smack into Priel and either fail to cut the rope or fail to catch Reize before dropping to the ground.

Either way, once on the ground he'll hit his head against a rock and kind of slump to the ground, dizzy and tired and thirsty. He's not unconscious but probably not doing very well either.

Oops

Reize Seatlan has posed:
Annnnnd there we go.

Reize knew that this was going to happen.

He definitely knew that things would pretty much work against him the moment he locked onto her horns. However, the boy was not going to fall. He is securing the rope and his hands on the rope. He looks over towards Shiki, who is still shaking.

...She needs to wake up.

"SHIKI!" The boy snaps. The orders are now getting snapped, "Get the stranger and get back to the town! I'll take care of this!"

Then, the boy is going to grab onto the horns, mostly to try to steer the angry Priel away from Shiki's direction. He may not had much luck with the bull riding, but it did teach him a lesson.

He needs to steer her off.

Shiki Misaki has posed:
Shiki drags herself up. There's sand all over her face where it's stuck to the tears.

Mr. Mew has, in fact, already appeared from under a rock (with a bundle of a thousand needles on his back) and is busy making sure Sora's not unconcious.

Well, when you've gotta bounce, you gotta bounce. Shiki looks like she's being held up with puppet strings for a moment, before she tromps across the sand and tries to drag Sora up.

"No..." she mutters to herself as she takes the big-shoed stranger by the hand. "Not like this..."

But they're going nonetheless.

Priel Aylin has posed:
Sora's valiant attempt would have caused Priel to laugh out loud at any other given moment, but right now, she was too focused on getting this stupid boy off of her back. She had been careening towards Shiki in her erractic attempts to buck him off and did not notice that she was slowly losing altitude...

And then with a grip of her horns, Priel found herself veering off in another direction....and then crashing into the sands. Already a shameful thing, but then it was only going to get worse. Laying in the sand with Reize STILL on her back, the ground then began to shake. ".....Muh?" Came the girl's muffled voice and she lifted her head to look about in confusion; well as much as she could with Reize gripping her horns.

Nature chose this very moment to throw a tantrum. The ground beneath the two suddenly gave way, sand pouring downwards into the rapidly growing hole. And considering that the law of gravity was still in effect....the two were in for a rather nasty drop.

"This was NOT a part of the plaaaaaaaaaaaaan!"

Her voice echoed out as she disappeared into the darkness below with Reize in tow...

Sora has posed:

The mysterious boy looks up at Shiki as she helps him away, but he's in too much of a daze to see clearly, or even to really last long at all. As Adrenalin fades with the immediate danger, he slumps over again and falls down. But... hey, at least Shiki is here to get him to safety.

He'll need it, he's kind of KO.

Reize Seatlan has posed:
The Good: Shiki is safe. The stranger with the big shoes is safe. Both of them can survive in the desert.

The Bad: The fact that they are---

OHGOD THE GROUND IS FALLING!

Reize's eyes widen when the sandy presence is now pouring downward. It makes its way towards the hole and the nasty drop is on its way.

"This was NOT a part of the plaaaaaaaaaaaaan!"

His voice echoes out as he disappears into the darkness along with Priel.